Railway telegraphic signal



(No Model.)

B. M. HUNTER.

RAILWAY TELBGRAPHIG SIGNAL.

No. 277,569. Patented May 15,1883.

- UNITED- STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

tUDOLPH M. HUNTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAlLWAY TELEGRAPH'IC SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 277,569, dated May 15,18183.

Application filed October 16, 1882.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, of thecity and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented an improvement in Telegraphic Signals for Railways, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention has reference to electric signal and telegraphic devicesfor railways; and it consists in providing the road-bed of the railwaywith contact or circuit-closing blocks an ranged at uniform intervalsand electrically connected together by a line-circuit, at either end ofwhich is a line-battery arranged to oppose or counterbalance each other;further, in providingthe locomotive or car with a contact-shoe which iselectrically connected with the ground, the said shoe being adapted todischarge the balanced circuit when it comes in contact with acircuit-closing block; further, iii'providing the stations along thelineeircuit with registering devices, which register the number ofescapements of electricity from the line due to the action of 'themoving shoe and stationary blocks, and in details of construction, allof which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown inthe accom panyingdra wings, which form part thereof.

The patent to Goodwin, No. 150,150, dated April28, 1874, shows a closedcircuitlilte any ordinary telegraphic circuit, and his cars open thecircuit, but do not telegraph messages over it. From the nature ofhisco-nstruction the electric current is always passing, and when notused is going to waste. Now, with my circuit there is no passage ofcurrent until the circuit is grounded between the two linebatteries 5hence there is no waste. \Vhen Goodwin signals his circuit is open,while when I signal my circuit is closed.

The object of l r invention is to provide railroads with suita eautomatic registering devices, whereby the tation-Inaster may knowtheexact location of the train, and whetherit is stopped or running, andat what speed itis traveling; also, that, if desired, an operator in thetrain may telegraph to the station, or vice versa, either when the trainis at rest or moving.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of a railroadand locomotive O is the locomotive or car, and is provided with ametallic shoe, 1), provided with a. wearingpiece, D, secured thereon bybolts d, both ends of said shoe being preferably curved up, as at (1This shoe is pivoted to the locomotive at d, and may be provided with aspring, E, to force it down toward the track, and an adjustingrod,F,tolimit its downward motion.

Secured upon the ties B, and preferably be tween the rails, arecontact-blocks P, arranged, say, half a mile apart. They may be arrangedcloser or farther apart, if desired, as it isimmaterial so long as theirseparation isuniform'. These contacts may be constructed as shown inFig. 4, in which a cast-iron bed-plat H, is secured to the ties by boltsor nails H, and are provided with flanges, h, made dovetailed to holdthe insulating-bock G, which may be provided with projection g, and overwhich tits the contact metallic piece P, made curved on each end, asatp. The top of piece P is provided with a depression or recess, 1),into which the head of bolt I rests, the boltpassing through the saidpiece and insulator-block to hold them together. loosely into adepression, h, in the bed-plate H. If desired, the nut of bolt I may beup in Fig. 3 is an en The nut of said bolt fits depression 1), so as toallow easy removal of 8 with the ground,it should be insulated. Each 5end of the main-line circuit K is provided with a battery, L, soarranged that they countec balance and render neutral their effects.

X are stations, and are provided with any suitable recordiug-instrument,M, in circuit TOO with the main line K, so that upon every pul sation ofthe electric current which passes through the line the recorder willautomatically record the fact. If desired, a relay, N, may be arrangedin the line at the stations, which may control the usual local circuit,0, in which a sounder, R, is located, and may be operated by a key, S,when the shoeD is resting on a contact-block, P, and, if desired, thecurrent which passes through the shoe may be directed throughcorrespondingtelegraphic instruments in the cab of engine or car, andthen put to ground by wheels. By this means telegraphic communicationscould be had 'should an accident occur.

The operation is as follows: The effects of thebatteriesLbeingcounterbalanced,thetrain is made to move in eitherdirection, and as it passes over the contact-blocks P the shoe Dcompletes the double circuit through the engine or car-wheels to ground,this causing a discharge from both batteries to line, and ind ucingalloftherecordiug-instruments M to record the fa'ct, and as every dischargeindicates the passage of the train over a contact-block, the number ofdischarges multiplied into the distance the contacts are apart will givethe distance the train is from the station in its rear. By this means itis easy to ascertain the exactlocation of the train, to know whether itis moving or at rest, and to enable an operator to carry on telegraphiccommunications with the stations should an accident make it necessary.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a railway with contact-blocks arranged along thesame and at equal distances apart, a main-line circuit-wire in circuitwith said contact-blocks and a linebatteryateach end of same, saidbatteries being arranged with similar poles to line, and means attachedto a car or locomotive and arranged to strike said contacts and groundthe linewire between the batteries, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

2. The combination of a railway with con- I tact-blocks arranged alongthe same and at equal distances apart, a line-wire provided on each endwith'a line-battery having similar poles to line and in circuit withsaid contactblocks, recording devices arranged in said linecircuit andat the stations, and means attached to the locomotive or car to strikesaid contact-blocks and ground the line-circuit between said batteries,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of a railway with contact-blocks arranged along thesame and at equal distances apart, a line-wire provided on each end witha line-battery having similar poles to line and in circuit with saidcontactblocks, recording devices, arranged in said linecircuit,telegraphic apparatus also arranged in train, and meansattached to thelocomotive or line-circuit through the telegraphic apparatus and at apoint between said line-batteries,-substantially as and for the purposespecified.

4. Thecombinationot'rails A,contact-blocks P, linewire K, wires k,batteries L L, recording-instruments M, locomotive or car 0, and

tially as and for the purpose specified.

5. Thecombination of rails A,contact-blocks P, line-wire K, wires 7.",batteries L L, recording -instruments M, locomotive 0, shoe 1), springE, and adjusting-link F, or its equivalent, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

6. ThecombinationofrailsA,contact blocks P, insulating-blocks Gr,line-wire K, wires 7;, batteries L L, recording-iustruments M,locomotive O, shoeD,having wearing-piece D, and means to electricallyconnect said shoe with the ground, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

. In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

RUDOLPH M. HUNTER.

Witnesses:

1%. S. CHILD, Jr., R. A. GAVIN.

said line-circuit and at the stations and on the car to strike thecontact-blocks and ground the shoe 1), in circuit with the ground,substan-

